Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) has asked the Punjab government to issue NOC to the federal government for Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) so that policy making could be started at federal level.
Vice-Chairman Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Khawaja Shahzeb Akram said here on Thursday that after shifting the matters pertaining to pharma industry to provinces in the light of 18th Constitutional Amendment, no improvement for the betterment of pharma industry has been noticed.
While addressing an emergent meeting of office-bearers of Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), he said that pharmaceutical industry is facing difficulties without existence of Drug Regulatory Authority. He added that the federal government has also imposed 16 percent direct GST on the procurement of pharma equipment but there was no tax in the past. The imposition of tax would directly hit the medicines and poor people would bear the burden while purchasing medicines, he added. He held the federal government responsible for increase in the rates of medicines. He appealed to the federal and provincial governments to take immediate steps for the execution of Drug Regulatory Authority and all matter relating to phrama industry should be resolved.
The meeting was attended by Amjad Ali Jawa, Asad Shuja-ur-Rehman, Babar Chaudhary, Dr Shehla Javaid Ikram, Dr Khokhar, Dr Khalid Chaudhary, Hamid Raza and Shafique Abbasi.